Learning to Hold You
by BSManthaLUV
Summary: Draco & Ginny were best friends... until he did the unthinkable... [[complete]]


**Disclaimer: **I don't own Harry Potter or any of it's characters, all I own is my plot and well… myself.

**Authors Note:** So, yeah. I've never really written a Harry Potter story and this will probably be my last but who knows, and I'm sorry if this comes out a little wishy-washy. It's been hard filling in the blanks. I'm having trouble going from present to memory, and having it make sense. Well, when you review just tell me what you think and don't hold back. Oh, and flaming makes me laugh, give a reason it sucked don't say 'that sucked'. I hope this get some reviews, I've seen how few reviews some Harry Potter stories get, and the amount sucks. If you read it review it! What's the point in reading if the author doesn't know?

_Learning To Hold You_

He had so many layers. And Ginny discovered a new one each day since she'd befriended him. The most recent layer Ginny had unearthed was the fact that Draco had a smile. Not a malicious grin, not that smirk he had smeared on his face after he'd just made someone's ego drop, not the smirk he saved for the special occasions that Harry got defeated, or even his most genuine curve of the lips; the one he wore when he was with Ginny. None of that could be considered an actual smile. But indeed he had one.

He'd held it back, tried to keep it to a minimum grin, but once a smile is given the chance of escape it does just that. It was pure joy and happiness swimming through his normally cruel profile.

Ginny had nearly had a heart attack when she saw it. It was like watching a pack of muggles walking through Hogwarts; odd and out of place. But she'd seen it nonetheless, and she'd barely trusted her own memory when she thought about it five minutes later.

Immediately after the smile Draco blushed the dimmest shade of pink. Obviously surprised by his own actions.

It did make sense to Ginny though, seeing a smile on his face. She knew how much he hid from her and the rest of Hogwarts. He made it seem like he had no morals or boundaries. That he would do anything as long as it didn't involve any muggles or mud-bloods.

Or even any blood traitors, but he'd proved himself wrong when he and Ginny became friends. They weren't really _friends_, not in the usual sense of the word. He refused to be seen in public with her, but would never admit it. They normally waited for the halls to empty out before having a conversation, or sometimes they'd go to an unpopular place in Hogsmeade and hang out there until it was time to leave. It was an unwritten rule, something they just knew to do. Otherwise, they just went on with there normal life, Slytherins hating Gryffindor and vise versa.

She remembered the first argument they had, fighting about Harry's skill. It was like a well-planned debate; Ginny took the pro, well Draco took the con.

"_Potters nothing but a lying git!" Spat Draco, saying Potter like most magical folk would say Voldemort. With pure hatred. _

"_Huh, 'cause I didn't know you were all that honest Malfoy." Ginny replied crossing her arms. She was completely ready for a verbal fight, and she could tell Draco could tell. Ginny'd always had the gift of reading people well; she could easily pick out their weakness, but if she chose to she could take the time to figure them out and get to know them. She loved to get to know people and liked to think she knew them better than anyone else, and she didn't use their weakness against them often. But Malfoy was different, it was worth it to observe him and pick out his weakness. He deserved it, so that's what she did, watched him from a distance and picked fights with him whenever she could. Though surprisingly, she hadn't picked this one, he had._

_He smirked at her, like he knew something she didn't and in a silent reply Ginny smirked back and raised her left eyebrow inquiringly. He scrunched up his eyebrows ever so briefly, dumbfounded and even a little flustered. _

"_Don't hold back, I have comebacks for everything." Ginny said her smirk growing in a mischievous way._

"_Right. You know, Potter easily would have taken Cho Chang over you." He said clearly sharing her talent of picking out weaknesses. Ginny had always had her doubts about that matter, Harry treated her as if she was his first choice, but she could never be sure. After all, he had waited and wished for Cho for a few years and completely ignored Ginny's feeble attempts at flirtation._

"_Oh?" She said with an icy laugh, "I guess then I should tell you Pansy would have picked Crabbe over you."_

"_She never said she wanted him." Ground out Malfoy._

"_She didn't have to." _

"_So your attacking me personally are you Weasley?"_

"_Obviously."_

"_At least I'm not a blood traitor!" He hissed._

"_You need to think of a new insult Malfoy." She said coldly, sick of hearing the same thing. And with a wiggle of her fingers, she turned around and walked away._

The fight they'd had about Harry, had morphed into a game of picking out the worst in each other. They continued these fights for a long while afterward; soon they just bickered for the fun of it. And then they didn't bicker at all; they'd run out of insults and hatred to exchange. And just begun to exchange words in the halls out of habit, careful to keep a frosty tone. Once Draco just came over to Ginny willfully and struck up a conversation, and that was that first time Draco had shed a layer.

Ginny treasured that time; even now that she had convinced herself she hated him. Something about him had captured her that day, and she wanted to learn more. And she didn't want to use it against him. She'd actually written a story about it in her diary, just to remember it, it wasn't something she wanted to forget, and now sitting by the cold, miniature waterfall by herself, she pulled out that precious piece of parchment and read it once more. Before sending it down the narrow river to be carried into the depth, so she wouldn't have to be reminded of him or his balmy rule.

She watched it drifting down the river like a boat, getting drenched more by the second, and the wetter it got the calmer Ginny became. She watched it until it disappeared around a bend.

The last person hurried down the hall, anxious to get to their next class. Until just the echo of their footsteps were left behind. And Ginny was left behind, sitting on the floor.

Ginny hunched even further over her homework, her hair was draped around her face like a shield, a don't disturb sign. It was a free period, which Ginny took complete and utter advantage of.

"Weasley!" Someone hadn't seen the don't disturb sign. And Ginny knew who that someone was. She tensed up and got ready to respond in the cold voice, which she'd used much more lately.

"Malfoy?" She sat up letting her hair go back to its normal position.

"Why waste time doing homework, you could be snogging Potter in a closet right now." He said, the normal cold tone abandoned, he pulled down the sleeve of his robe and checked the time, and "You have approximately 21 minutes." He sneered, but instantaneously after he broke into a smirk, a much more happier one than usual.

"Why waste time and talk to the blood traitor?" She asked, but with a smile plastered on her face.

"It's out of pure habit I talk to you." He sunk down next to her leaning on the wall.

"Must be a bad habit."

"Must be."

Ginny laughed, a little perplexed, Draco wasn't nice. He wasn't even nice in a teasing matter. "Why are you talking to me?"

"You're repeating yourself." He answered.

"Actually, I just asked two questions that meant the same thing."

"You got me with logic." He stated blankly, still carrying that smirk.

"I didn't know Malfoys admitted defeat."

"You don't know much about us Malfoys." Ginny ignored him and went on writing her paper.

"What are you working on?" He asked changing the subject after the silence.

"Potions report. On the different varieties of potions."

"It's most likely Snape'll give you the lowest grade he possibly can." Draco spat, with the ghost of his smirk. "He hates Griffindors."

"Then it's mutual." Sighed Ginny, turning to face Draco.

"I like Snape."

"Well he gives Slytherins the highest grade he can get away with, and almost never subtracts points." Ginny's temper was rising.

"Keep that temper down."

"Malfoy you sound like my mother."

"I inherit the trait from my mom." He said, smirk staying in place.

"Draco Malfoy I never knew you were capable of motherly kindness."

"You don't know very much about us Malfoys."

He didn't always use that cold-hearted tone. Ginny had discovered that that day, he was capable of speaking to her like she was an equal. Ginny had never known he could form words around a Weasley, let alone carry on an actual conversation with one.

They started that routine everyday after. The deserted hall was a great place to talk without anyone bothering them. Ginny knew it was the way Draco liked it, when know one could see he talked to Blood Traitors, and hung around with Harry's best friends sister.

They got along better with each visit. They began to flirt more and more with each conversation, and Ginny began to get attracted. He was mysterious, tall and handsome. Hogsmeade was their meeting place; it was an unwritten rule to show up here at the river. So why was Ginny here? She hated him; the feeling was mutual.

She felt tears spring to her eyes, unwanted and undeserved. Why was she crying over Draco Malfoy?

It wasn't the first time she'd done it. She cried to him once in the middle of the hallway. Not that he was considerate about it.

Draco wasn't capable of being considerate of anyone, barely even himself.

Draco was walking toward her, and suddenly Ginny couldn't hold back the tears. Something in him had triggered them. And right there outside of Potions she'd began to cry.

Cry.

Ginny didn't do crying, she hated it. Why get depressed because someone else hurt you? They hurt you and if they hurt you they didn't matter. So why did it hurt so much?

Ginny hated that he was seeing her in such a weak condition. The second he spotted her he looked shocked, then for a fraction of a second concern crossed his face. He quickly looked both ways to make sure no one had witnessed his expression, which was the only time Ginny needed. She turned and started fast walking to the nearest bathroom.

But sadly and expectantly her plan had failed and she could hear Draco making his way non-chanantly toward her. Ginny turned, walking straight into Myrtle's territory. "Why are you crying Ginny Weasley?" Myrtle asked, but Ginny ignored her flames shooting out of her eyes.

"Miss Weasley?" But once again she ignored Myrtle's desperate words, knowing she wasn't sad for her but only looking for someone to talk to.

"Weasley?" The door opened and the quiet question slipped through quickly followed by his footsteps. She'd recognize them anywhere, soft and quick, not wanting to be heard but reach their destination without anyone hearing. They echoed through her mind every second, their tune distinct and impossible to get out of your head, like a catchy jingle.

Ginny turned ready to scream at him to get out of the girl's bathroom. Though that was before she saw his eyes, showing more depth and concern then they ever had. "Harry—he—he b-broke up with me!" She muttered between hiccupping breaths.

"Bloody hell Potter did this to you?" He said it like he'd beat her, and left her to bleed.

Ginny made no response, for Draco was asking a question he already had an answer to. "He's a git!" Draco spat; probably proud Ginny hated Harry now.

"Harry Potter?" Myrtle's eyes widened. "Harry is the boy-who-lived it's not right to talk about him like that!"

Draco looked hesident, embarrassment gleaming in his eyes. Then he wrapped his arms around her (in what was probably meant to be a hug), and pulled away quickly, blushing.

They just stood there like that, Myrtle floating and Draco watching the ground. Ginny speechless, until finally the tears subsided.

Then Draco walked out of the girls' bathroom quickly. Ginny left five minutes later, not wanting anyone to get the wrong idea.

Why had she cried in front of him?

His sympathy was fake and his smirk was even fake, Ginny hadn't even known that possible before she met him.

But it was, and he was. He wouldn't have exploited her secrets and turned against if he wasn't. He would have put himself in Ginny's shoes and then ignored his friends walking away from the argument. Better yet he would have stepped right over next Ginny and told Goyle to shove off. But he didn't, instead he'd used Ginny's secrets against her.

Ginny didn't want to remember it… but she did. Her mind also flitted toward the time when attraction blossomed; just there coming from nowhere and everywhere.

It was in this very spot, next to the river on a trip to Hogmeade. The perfect secret meeting place.

He'd almost kissed her that day.

"_Steel!" Ginny called into the shadows seeing another one erupting from there edge. She'd come up with the nickname a few weeks ago, for his tuff demeanor and metal eyes. For his hard, cold personality and his skin color. _

"_Weaslette?" He said back, stepping out of the shadows with a smirk. His cheeks were slightly rosy from the cold and he had his hands shoved in the pockets of his robe defensively. "You look like Rudolph." He snickered._

"I'd rather look like Rudolph than a ghost. Besides I didn't think you'd be associated with Christmas cheer like that." Ginny shivered in the cold weather, it was windy out adding to the stormy atmosphere.

Draco just blinked.

"_Start a fire Steel." Ginny muttered rubbing her arms the cold sensation deepening. _

He began to mutter a spell, "Wrong." Ginny stated grabbing a stick and stone and handing them to him. Their fingers brushed momentarily as she passed him the rock, it was cliché what had happened. But until now Ginny didn't realize the gravity of the situation, now whenever he touched her she mentally danced. Literally.

"With a rock and a stick? Weasley we're magic. We don't need--" He scrunched up his eyebrows in disgust, "—nature" He shuddered.

"The magic ways boring, it's much more fun to torture you." She smiled like a little girl, flirting.

"Potter put you up to this? I told you not to take orders from him."

"And he told me not to take orders from you." Ginny muttered smirking.

"You guys talk about me?" Draco asked, "Am I that intriguing?" He smirked.

"So intriguing in fact that Harry likes you, really likes you. I think he has a few locks of your hair in his closet." She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

"To many details. Besides why don't you have any locks of my hair in your closet?"

"'Cause it's in my pocket.

"Obsession?"

"Yeah." Ginny walked off toward the river. Draco followed, not willing to give up on the conversation just yet. She stood by its side the shallow water rushing beside her, it was colder over here. She felt breath on her neck and seconds later hands had slipped into both her pockets.

"There is no hair in here." He sounded disappointed, but smirked all the while.

Ginny twisted her head so she could see him, she could barely focus on his face she was close. "You actually thought it would be there? Malfoy you git." She kicked him with the back of her foot "Your ego controls you."

She could see his lips inch forward and did the same with hers, but then he pulled his back and stiffened. He leaned in closer to her, the tips of their noses brushing. Ginny loved the feeling, she loved his soft skin against her rough skin. Draco's lips touched Ginny's, but then he pulled back. The feverish emotion that had taken over him dissipated.

Ginny recovered quickly, Draco not so fast. His breathing was heavy and ragged, like they had kissed when they hadn't. He was nervous and embarrassed. Ginny broke the icy silence, she spoke out to the river, Draco's hands still in her pockets.

"Potters your obsession."

If Draco chose to he could be so genuine that it hurt those around them, hurt them in a good and bad way. It would help them learn something about themselves… but something painful.

Draco had been honest with Ginny, he'd flat out told her she was the hottest thing on Gryiffindor and that she deserved better then Dean, but he wasn't honest with everyone.

Not his friends. Not his own friends.

Rory could see her breath, she'd apperate (her brothers taught her) home, back onto school grounds and face the consequences of being late. She wasn't done moping, wasn't down at her one-man funeral mourning the loss of her friend.

Her Draco.

Her Steel.

She heard a rustling sound in the bushes, lips smacking, people walking. Ginny gasped in surprise when the couple appeared.

Draco and Pansy.

"Get a room!" Screeched Ginny, a tear rushing to her eye, but she wouldn't give it the satisfaction of escape. She jumped to her feet brushing off the dirt from her robe.

"Ginny?" Draco asked, pulling away from Pansy wide-eyed.

"You know its name?" Pansy asked, looking at Ginny like she was poison.

"Of course he knows my name we're dating." Ginny said trying to sound offended and innocent, it felt so good to screw with that git Dracos love life. She looked at Pansy innocently, hoping the lie wouldn't shine bright and clear through her eyes.

But she couldn't help looking at Draco out of the corner of her eye, he glew in the dark with his chalky white skin, hard like steel. The same color as the moon, he definitely looked better at night. Shining like a star, of course he was one who didn't want to be there. The white of his skin simply stood out in the black of the night.

"Draco!" Pansy screeched, slapping him across the face, "I can't believe I missed the bus and risked weeks of detention for you." Ginny hadn't given anything away at all. She smirked at Draco, and could see him stifling a grin in reaction to her fake innocence.

She could always make him laugh.

Pansy ran away, Ginny knew it wasn't any emotional hardship for her though, Draco was just a trophy.

"Bloody hell now I'm alone with you." Ginny said turning away.

"Sorry Ginny Weaslette." She could hear Draco whisper behind her. It was genuine.

"Me too Steel Malfoy, but I don't think we can be friends anymore." A tear rushed to her eye, but Ginny wasn't going to let it escape. It was the first time she'd been betrayed like this… and betrayal burnt.

"Just listen." He was running after her, Ginny broke into run jetting away from him, prepared to jump the small stream in her path. But her plan failed, she tripped falling into the stream, and sadly enough it was full of enough water to get her wet.

That's when she cried.

Draco sat down next to her, as Ginny sat up, a bad pain in her wrist, a rock had made her pinky bleed too, but otherwise she was alright.

"Are you okay?"

"Do I look okay Malfoy?" She abandoned her nickname for him.

"No, you look bloody angry Weasley." Then he grinned, just a little, just enough.

Ginny broke down into sobs, now he was being nice, when no one was watching. It wasn't fair… he didn't care.

Ginny looked through her tears at him, he was looking at her unsurely, and then finally he seemed to settle on something. Slowly he put his arms around her, acwardly. Patting her back, that's when Ginny knew he was back. Because he'd shed another layer… he was capable of coming in kind physical contact with a Weasley.

Ginny sobbed onto his shoulder, "I'm destroying your robs."

"So?" He brought his lips to hers, and when they met she could feel Draco smile.

He was kissing her after he'd broken her, but none of that mattered now. Because Draco was warm.

**A/N2: **It's taken me a billion days to finish this, I started it two months ago, it's kind of been the story I've been working on, on the side. And I'd appreciate reviews if you read this, but if I only get three it's okay 'cause this was fun to write.


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